


[You are] worth waiting for

by Chiaki_Hamano



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dry Humping, First Time, Fluff, It's not identical tattoos, M/M, Non traditional Soulmate fic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reincarnation, This is fluffier than how I usually write but I'm actually semi happy with it, alternative universe, i don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 10:20:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiaki_Hamano/pseuds/Chiaki_Hamano
Summary: JayDick week Day 2: Soulmates“I love you, Pretty Bird.”Jason felt like he was flayed open when he pulled himself away from Richard. Who said heartbreaks were just a word to describe emotions? Jason hadn’t known things could hurt this bad, this physically. His entire body felt cold, missing of the warmth of Richard’s body, his heart seemed like it was slowing down and racing at the same time. He reached out to brush a strand of hair from Richard’s face. It shook. His hand was shaking. Jason jerked and dropped his hand to his side.“No… No… Jay… Jason, stay…” Richard was calling his name. “Please don’t leave, Little Wing…Please don’t die…”





	[You are] worth waiting for

**Author's Note:**

> Umm... I'm meant to write _more_ but well, you know, life is a bitch and it gets in the way XD This is definitely different than my usual take on stories but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway  <3 Thank you for all the encouragement and support you guys still give me even though I know I haven't written a lot of stuff lately. Special shoutout to YeahYouWish for helping me beta the story. She's been wonderful and amazing and kind.
> 
> All mistakes remained are my own :) I hope you guys can forgive me for my lack of skill in English.

_“I… I don’t want to die,” came the soft confession.  It was difficult to maintain eye contact after saying such a cowardly thing, so Jason didn’t bother to. He dropped his head to his hands, his shoulders shuddering minutely, though his eyes were still surprisingly dry. His fingers combed through his hair restlessly, his breathing ragged._

_Sitting next to him, Jason heard Richard swallow, and it was easy to imagine the stricken look on his face. Jason wished there was something to say about this situation, how fucked up it was. He desperately wanted to hear Richard reassure him that everything would be okay and they would get through this, together…_

_However, sometimes, there was just nothing to say to make a situation better. Jason felt Richard’s hand around his shoulder, pulling him close and with another shaky sigh, Jason complied with his wish, carefully pressing his body against Richard’s. His hand went around Richard’s back and he gripped his waist, choking back a sob. He wouldn’t cry… It was already degrading that he even admitted weakness in the first place._

_Soft lips carefully pressed against Jason’s forehead and Jason looked up to see Richard was studying him, the corners of his eyes suspiciously wet. “Then don’t go. You don’t have to go, we can just run away together, tonight, right now, I can go pack up. The others will understand.” Jason felt Richard’s grip shift before his other hand came up to clasp tightly with Jason’_ _s._ _“They_ have to.”

_Jason laughed, a dry, humorless sound. “You know we can’t do that. We are knights, soldiers,_ captains. _We have a duty to our people. The King would execute our families if we run away. And where would we run? We are… two men with special feelings… no one is going to understand that. There’s no place for us in this world.”_

_Richard heaved out a heavy sigh, the corners of his lips trembled for a moment. “You will leave tomorrow then? It’_ _s a suicid_ _e mission, you know that. You won’t come back. You said you didn’t want to die… And I…” Richard’s adams apple bobbed when he swallowed. “I don’t want you to die, either.”_

_Jason sighed and straightened his back, pushing away his own fear in favor of comforting Richard. He ran a hand through Richard’s hair, tucking a lock behind his ear. “Do you believe in sorcery?” He suddenly asked, much to Richard’_ _s confusion._

_“Strange question.”_

_“Just answer me,” Jason prompted, gently. “There’_ _s no trap, I_ _’m not teasing you. It’_ _s a genuine question._ _”_

_Richard gave Jason a skeptical look before he studied the night sky, his hand gripping Jason before it loosened. Finally, he answered, a little breathless. “Yeah… As crazy as it sounds, I do,” he turned to Jason, blue eyes softened at the sight, and Jason’s heart skipped a beat, “I found you, didn’t I? Couldn’t have possibly done that without magic.”_

_Jason leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of Richard’s lips but Richard turned his head just right and suddenly, their lips were pressed together instead._

_Both of them froze, staring at each other in shock. Despite everything, they had never aimed for anything more than meaningful lingers of their hands or the most innocent of touches. This, this was new… And -- Jason felt his heart speed up. It wasn’t a_ bad _type of new._

_Richard was the first one to pull away, much to Jason’s disappointment. He raised a hand and gently pressed it to his lips, and Jason just_ knew _._

_His own lips were tingling from the contact, too._

_“If you believe in magic…” Jason’s voice cracked at the end, emotional from the intimate kiss and from the weight of what he was about to say, “believe that the universe will have a way to pull us back together. Believe in reincarnation, believe that… that I will remember you, and in another era where what we have isn’t a taboo, believe that our story will be told over and over again…” he reached out to cup Richard’s cheek, marveling at how soft the skin was. “Then the world will see how in love we are.”_

_Richard’s face screwed up and he turned his face away, pressing the back of his palm against his eyes. “Sorry,” he choked out, “sorry it’s just, what you said, I…”_

_Jason let his hand drop, waiting for Richard to regain his composure, rubbing his arm in small comforting circles. “Hey, Richard?” He called once Richard had wiped away the tears._

_“Yeah?”_

_“Do you want to… tonight?” He asked, lowering his voice, already feeling guilt well up inside just at the thought of actually… Jason forced the feeling down. He was going to die anyway… He didn’t want to march to his death with regret and what-ifs, or what could have been._

_Richard’s brows furrowed together in confusion. To clarify what he meant, Jason traced Richard’s bottom lip, dragging his thumb across it gently. “Oh,” Richard breathed hotly, causing Jason’s thumb to tingle pleasantly. “Yes, god, yes.” He whispered, glancing around._

_An excited smile spread across Jason’s face, lighting it up, and he gripped Richard’s hand in a firm hold before he pulled him toward his tent, making Richard yelp in surprise though there was also a smile on his face._

_They pushed the blinds and slipped inside, jittery like two kids trying candies for the first time. Jason pulled Richard against him, pressing their lips firmly together, and, in a bold move, licking his bottom lip._

_Richard let out a laugh at the ticklish feeling before it turned into a pleased sigh when Jason’s teeth bit clumsily, and he turned his face, but only smacked his nose against Jason’s instead. It sent both of them into a giggling fit, for they were heady with the thrill of the forbidden act._

_“Let me,” Jason said, running a hand down Richard’s armor before he pushed him to the stool and knelt down, removing his boots one by one before trying to remove the rest, a task made difficult by Richard’s constant press of kisses to his face, nose, cheeks, wherever he could reach. “I’ve unleashed a monster!” Jason laughed when Richard pushed for a kiss on his jawline, giving Richard a fond look._

_It took much too long in Jason’s opinion before Richard was free of his armor and he could work on himself. This time, at least, Richard wasn’t trying to kiss him every few moments. Free of the heavy weight at last, Jason gripped Richard’s chin, kissing him again, open mouthed this time; their teeth clashed and their noses bumped. The kiss was messy and it was interrupted by little sighs and a small laugh._

_It was everything Jason wanted it to be._

_Richard pushed him backward until Jason’s legs hit his bed and he let himself fall, Richard crawling on top of him, smiling down. “Love you,” he heard Richard murmur, before they were kissing again. Jason’s fingers tangled in Richard’s raven hair, pushing their faces together._

_“Jay!” Richard threw his head back, letting out a sharp hiss when the kisses trailed down to the column of his long neck, his hands came up to grip Jason’s clothes, trying to tear them off._

_The last layers of clothes between them were too much, and everything was heating up and Jason felt too hot. He was hard, harder than he had ever remembered and he was embarrassingly close to his climax even with just the thought of spending this moment with Richard. He pulled Richard’s robe down on his shoulders, revealing scarred skin. With one quick tug, Richard was gloriously naked ,sans the boxers._

 

_“Jay… Love you, love you!” Richard chanted while Jason buried his face in the crook of his neck. His hands clawed at the robe impatiently._

_“Come on, take it off, I need to feel you,” Richard groaned while Jason grunted, finding the hot press between his legs distracting, but obediently sitting up to toss the robe on the floor, wanting to get back to this as well._

_“You are so beautiful, Jay, so beautiful.” Jason heard the whisper and he looked up to see Richard smile down at him with all the adoration he reserved just for Jason. Swallowing down past the lump in his throat, Jason’s hand found Richard’s and they entwined their fingers together in a tight hold._

_“Do what makes you feel good, pretty bird,” Jason found himself saying, rubbing his length against one of Richard’s legs, humping his leg, but he had passed the threshold of shame and embarrassment to find this strange anymore. He threw his head back with a groan._

_“No, look at me, Jay, look at me,” Richard breathed, straddling one of Jason’s legs and began to move as well, face flushing in pleasure. “Oh Jay, love you, love you so much, love you, ah, ah, love you… Please…_ Please _…” He let out a string of words, chanting over and over again like it was something to be treasured._

_It was too much. Jason was too inexperienced and everything felt too good, too emotional, too much and he was crying out, pulling Richard’s body against his while his hips jerked erratically, trying to get over the last of his intense orgasm._

_Richard’s body was shaking, too and there was a sharp pain on the side of his neck where his teeth had sunk down before Richard was rutting against him, his voice muffled and there was wetness in his underwear as well. His desperate thrusts died down to lazy rolls before his body stopped moving, collapsing bonelessly on top of Jason._

_Jason released the vice grip he had on Richard’s hand, absently running a hand through his hair, feeling lazy with the warm feeling that ran through his veins. It took him a while to notice Richard’s shoulders were shaking and when he worriedly pulled him up, Richard was crying, big teardrops rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t even bother to hide it, just sniffling back every once in a while. “Are you okay, pretty bird? Did I… Was it bad?” He asked, trying to wipe away Richard’s tears. Richard was saying something._

_“Don’t leave tomorrow, Jay… Please don’t leave tomorrow, please…” Richard’s shoulders shook, “please don’t leave me, I love you, you can’t do this to me…” He hiccupped, shaking like a leaf. “Please, let’s run away tonight, le-let’s, Little Wing, J-Jay please? Jay… Jason…”_

_Jason swallowed down the words he wanted to say, the agreement that wanted to come out. Instead, he pushed Richard’s hair out of the way and whispered in his ear. “We can’t… I can’t, Pretty Bird… You know it, please don’t cry.” He pulled Richard against his chest, running a hand up and down his bare back. “It’ll be okay. You just have to believe.”_

_Jason would be lying if he said he didn’t shed a tear or two as well. Facing with his certain death, he realized he wasn’t as brave as he had thought he was._

_It took a long time for both of them to calm down, and the entire time, Jason held Richard in his arms, their bare chests touching. Neither of them said another word, for there was nothing else to be said. Sometimes, Richard’s tears would spill free but Jason was always there to wipe them away, soothing Richard with kisses until he stopped sniffling._

_Too soon, far too soon, the sky brightened and Jason’s heart constricted painfully. He would do anything,_ anything _to slow time down. He was afraid of where his orders would lead, and he had just discovered this wonderful, beautiful thing he had with Richard and now it was all being ripped away and Jason… He couldn’t…_

_The first sunray pierced through the lightened sky, slipping through the small cracks between the blinds._

_Richard’s limbs tightened around Jason’s body like he could make Jason stay by sheer will. “Just a few moments more, please, Jay… Please, just a few moments more, stay, stay with me…” He pleaded, his lips wobbling again._

_Jason smoothed down Richard’s hair, rubbing his thumb in small circles before he leaned forward to press a kiss to Richard’s forehead. “Live long, beautiful. You need to live for me, too.” He brushed his lips against Richard’s ear. “We’ll be seeing each other again. Trust me. I will sing our tale for the world to listen, and they will know. They might not know who we are, but they will know our story.”_

_“Jay…”_

_“I love you, Pretty Bird.”_

_Jason felt like he was flayed open when he pulled himself away from Richard. Who said heartbreaks were just a word to describe emotions? Jason hadn’t known things could hurt this bad, this physically. His entire body felt cold, missing of the warmth of Richard’s body, his heart seemed like it was slowing down and racing at the same time. He reached out to brush a strand of hair from Richard’s face. It shook. His hand was shaking. Jason jerked and dropped his hand to his side._

_“No… No… Jay… Jason,_ stay _…” Richard was calling his name. “Please don’t leave, Little Wing_ … Please don’t die… _”_

_Each step away from Richard felt like it was a punch to his gut. Jason tried to block out the heart breaking calls, and pushed aside the blinds. He_ couldn’t _look back,_ couldn’t _turn around. If he did, he would stay._

_Jason couldn’t stay._

_Why did heartbreaks have to be a physical thing?_

_Everything just ached_ so badly _._

 

* * *

 

“--ke up, wake up, Peter, wake up,” a hand touched Jason’s shoulder and shook gently. “You are going to be late, wake up. Honestly, I left you alone for like one minute and I found you sleeping on the table.” Jason opened his eyes groggily, blinking away the last bit of sleepiness.

 

“Wha--?” He asked, confused as to where he was. Where was Richard? What happened? Where was he? He looked at the woman in front of him, long, red hair tied up high, an amused look on her face and her rather… impressive… cleavage in his face. Dredging up her name from the hazy pit of his mind, Jason guessed. “… Babs?” He asked unsurely.

 

“Yeah, it’s me, you dork. Did you dream of your story again? Come on, up with you. Remember to wash your face. You drooled, by the way. Everyone is eager to see Mr. Peter Todd the famous author. Don’t show up looking like I abused you.” Barbara shook her head with a smile.

 

Peter… Todd? Jason’s eyebrows furrowed… Things were coming back to him. Slowly, but they were coming back. He was… He wasn’t Jason… He was Peter Todd, the author who wrote a story from his dream, the forbidden love between two knights and then the story had become famous and today was…

 

“Is today the book signing day?” He asked, shaking his head, trying to remember himself. God, it happened again. He wasn’t Jason. He was Peter. He just… forgot sometimes because his vision was always so vivid. The feel of skin beneath his hands, the thrill of stolen glances, gentle grips that were much more than platonic… His heart ached at the thought of a certain raven-hair beauty. He missed him so much. He wished what he remembered wasn’t just a dream, and what he wrote in his book wasn’t just his own imagination.

 

“Yes, and you are going to be late if you don’t get ready soon. As your manager, I’m responsible for making sure that you won’t oversleep and forget your eager fans.” Barbara said, giving him a long-suffering look as she studied him. Finally, her eyes softened. “Hey, but if you are too tired, we can reschedule. You have been overworking yourself lately. Your health comes first.”

 

Peter looked at the pile of books on the table, pulling the first one toward him first. He turned the cover and studied the words he had written inside. ‘ _I’m waiting for you, Pretty Bird. J._ ’ He swallowed down the emotions that threatened to spill over the surface. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I can handle this.” He gave her a grateful smile. “And isn’t today the important one? You said something about… a rich Wayne coming or something?”

 

“Yes, the first-born of Mr. Wayne. He’s been a huge fan of your works and has supported it very generously, donated big money and all.” Barbara answered. “Dick Grayson.”

 

Peter grunted in response.

 

“Aw, c’mon, you can’t keep on hating all the rich people. The Waynes donate money to charity and stuff, they aren’t the bad kind.” Barbara tried. “Do you want to take a look at Grayson’s picture at least? To know who he is so it won’t be an awkward meeting?”

 

“Why should I? He’s just a fan. I’m not treating anyone better than the others just because he piled up a ridiculous amount of money on my stuff.” Peter rolled his eyes, irritated by the fact that it seemed like everyone was ready to prostrate themselves in front of old money. Who cared? Not him, certainly. “Alright, alright, I’mma go freshening up now. How long do I have left?”

 

“Around 20 minutes. I’ll go talk to some people. I’ll be back in 15 to make sure you didn’t fall asleep again.” Barbara said, studying Peter for another full minute. “And make sure to comb your hair, too.”

 

“Yes, Mother,” Peter chimed back, making his way to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, checking the heavy bags under his eyes. He looked like complete crap. When was the last time he had a full night of sleep again? Peter tried to remember…

 

Too long ago. Especially with the deadline coming and people wanting to make his novel into a movie and there was talking to be done and things to sign…

 

Peter ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his head. Just thinking about it made him tired. He was so lucky he had a great manager like Barbara. He wouldn’t know what to do without her. Probably would have crashed and burned.

 

He washed his face and combed his hair, trying to make himself look presentable and less like a walking corpse and more like a tired author before he walked out of the bathroom. Well, he had one minute to spare before Barbara came knocking… _again_.

 

Peter studied his office, his eyes landed on the cover picture. Two men were sitting in front of a fire, sharing a rather big log of wood. Their hands braced on either side of themselves, Richard’s left hand almost touched Jason’s right, though there was still just a hair’s width apart.

 

‘ _Camaraderie’_ said the cursive title.

 

Peter breathed out a sigh. He remembered this particular scene from his dreams. It was the first time Jason and Richard’s fingers touched. Peter could remember the electric shock that Jason felt upon the contact, their surprised looks, and how both Richard and Jason had looked down at their own hands at the same time, at the single point of contact between their two pinky fingers.

 

Richard had been the one making the first move that time, hooking up his pinky with Jason’s, and they had sat like that for hours, enjoying each other’s company and the radiating warmth of the fire while trying to use it as a justification for why their faces turned so red.

 

“Peter, it’s time.” Barbara called, jerking Peter from his thoughts, and he regretfully pulled his hand away from the cover.

 

“Yeah, I’m done. Let’s go meet the fans.” Peter said after a moment, following Barbara. His manager was trying to tell him what to do and how to act and who was coming, but Peter’s mind was completely elsewhere and he only nodded once in a while for show.

 

“Alright, Big Guy. Do your thing.” Barbara suddenly said, patting Peter’s shoulder. “Everyone’s waiting.”

 

Peter took a deep breath.

 

The signing went just like the dozens of other signings that he had done, in a big fancy bookstore, with him thanking his fans, with people coming over to ask for signature, people that wanted to shake his hand, people that wanted him to write down who they wanted to gift the book to, and Peter had to endure all the societies niceness with a smile on his face.

 

Someone placed one of his books on the table.

 

With a smile on his face, Peter asked pleasantly. “What should I write inside?” He was already flipping through the cover.

 

“Whatever you think is appropriate after you read the words.” Came the odd answer, and Peter paused, looking up. The bookstore was empty of all customers save for the stranger in front of him. And the stranger was-- Peter struggled to come up with another term that didn’t mean ‘beautiful’. His black hair reached the nape of his neck, stylishly tousled. His blue eyes were bright with joy and something very familiar that made Peter’s heart skip. He was also dressed up in a designer outfit, tailored to hug his body perfectly.

 

The stranger gave Peter a fond smile. “I’m Dick Grayson. It’s a pleasure meeting you at last, Peter.” The rich stranger, his fan, the one Barbara talked about, introduced himself. “Your books certainly left a very strong impact on me. I’d like to think that if Richard could read it, he would be very happy.”

 

Peter should have been creeped out by the strange introduction and the strange words but instead, his heart only raced for some reason that Peter failed to understand. It was too similar. Dick was too akin to the Richard inside his dream and it made Peter --

 

“Right,” Peter forced himself to say, trying and failing to ignore Dick Grayson’s presence in front of him and read the words he had read a hundred times before.

 

‘ _I’m waiting for you, Pretty Bird._

_J.’_

Beneath the words was another sentence, written meticulously.

 

_‘I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m here._

_R.’_

 

Peter, ( _Jason? Who was he?_ ), looked up slowly, mouth agape. “You, I…” He stuttered, ignoring the worried look Barbara shot him. “Y-You are…”

 

Dick ( _Richard? Was it really him?_ ) just smiled and placed a hand on Peter’s… Jason’s shoulder and squeezed. “I missed you.” He said in a voice low enough that no one else could hear, and oh god, Jason’s heart was beating too fast. Everything felt like a dream came true. It wasn’t. It couldn’t be… This wasn’t…

 

Jason pushed himself up, knocking over the stack of books without care. “Richard.” He gasped out, his hand snaked out to wrap around Richard’s wrist in a bruising grip. He knew it was, but he couldn’t bring himself to ease his grip. He was too afraid this would turn out to be a cruel dream, one that he would wake up from.

 

Next to him, Barbara decided to act. “Excuse us, Mr. Grayson, perhaps today Peter doesn’t feel so well--”

 

“Leave us, Babs,” Jason said at once, ignoring the incredulous look she shot him. “I said, leave us. I’m fine. I need some time alone with him for...” His brain short-circuited. He would apologize for being rude with Barbara later but not now… Now he needed--

 

“Business. I have a business proposal I need to talk to Peter.” Richard, his brilliant Richard, always so smart, came to the rescue. He flashed Barbara a charming smile and Jason’s heart swelled with jealousy, but it calmed down when Richard looked back at him.

 

“Yeah. That. We’ll be back later. Just… Don’t wait up.” Jason said hurriedly. He couldn’t wait to be left alone. He dragged Richard to his office and Richard complied willingly, without further prompting.

 

It wasn’t until the door was locked that Jason realized he was still gripping Richard’s wrist. He dropped it. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I was… I can’t, I--” What was wrong with him today? He was usually so much better with words. He had novels to prove that. His breathing quickened. There were so many things he wanted to say but at the same time, none of the words would leave his lips.

 

“Shhh, Jay, it’s okay. It’s okay, Little Wing, I’m really here. I remember.” Richard was saying, pressing a finger over Jason’s lips to shut him up. His hand shifted to Jason’s back, rubbing small circles. “Deep breaths with me now, come on, you can do it.” Richard said calmly, taking Jason’s hand in his other one and gave it a squeeze. He began to count slowly while Jason struggled to calm down.

 

“Feels better now?” Richard asked when Jason’s breathing evened out.

 

Jason took in Richard’s face, every single detail. He still had so many things he wished he could say. At last, Jason settled for a single question, his voice raspy. “Is this… a dream?” And then, another, more difficult one, “are you going to disappear when I wake up?” He asked, squeezing Richard’s hand tightly.

 

Richard cracked a smile. “I sure hope you dream of me with a lot fewer clothes than this.” He said, gesturing over the expensive outfit. His eyes softened when Jason didn’t look amused. “I’m real, Jay. I’m real, I promise.”

 

“How…?” Jason found himself asking.

 

“Magic. You said I should believe. So I did.” And there it was. The smile that made Jason fall for Richard the first time around. Richard beamed, the corners of his eyes crinkled in happiness. “I’m sorry I’m so slow, I should have read the book sooner, but by the time I did, you were already a big name and it’s not like I can just call you. So I have to wait for a chance. I didn’t want to talk to you on the phone.” He said.

 

“Idiot. You could have called and I would have come running.” Jason said without thinking. He startled but then realized that he had spoken the complete truth. No matter what, he would have come running when he heard it. He worried his bottom lip. “I missed you.” He said softly. “How… How have you been?” _How was your life since the day I was gone? Were you happy? Did you live long? Did you find love again?_

 

Those were the questions Jason couldn’t bring himself to ask.

 

“I lived as long as I could. I tried to be happy. I never got married though, I was offered a chance, but I couldn’t forget you.” Richard answered. “This life I have right now is… good. I will tell you all the detail when we have more time together ‘cause it’s a long story but it’s… good, Jay.” He said softly. “It’s good.”

 

Jason couldn’t resist the urge to touch Richard’s face. “You are so warm.” He whispered. “So soft, so real. I can’t believe you are here…”

 

“Jay…” Jason heard Richard’s breathless sigh and before he knew it, they were kissing, exploring each other again. His hand still fit the small of Richard’s back and Richard’s hands still felt right wrapped around his neck. It felt like nothing had changed at all. They were different people now, with different names, and different faces, but everything still felt like a missing piece of puzzle slotting in. Like nothing had changed and at the same time, everything was different.

 

“Richard…” Jason groaned. It was a broken sound filled with relief and longing and something else, something more -- Jason pulled Richard flush against his chest. “You don’t get to leave. You don’t get to leave me again.”

 

“It should be me saying that, Little Wing. You left me first,” Richard was hugging him just as fiercely, dull nails digging into his back, but Jason couldn’t bring himself to care, “but I’m not letting you go. Never again.” Richard whispered in his ear. “Thank you, for keeping your promise. I knew you loved me, but never how much, and your books… they showed me and I…” Richard buried his face in Jason’s shoulder, his voice was muffled when he continued. “And I love you, too. Very much. I’m sorry I made you wait. So sorry…”

 

Jason pulled himself away from the embrace, ignoring the fact that his eyes felt suspiciously wet. He ran his knuckles across Richard’s cheek. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Pretty Bird. You are worth it. _You are_ _worth waiting for._ ”

 

* * *

 

 _And at last I see the light_  
_And it's like the fog has lifted_  
_And at last I see the light_  
_And it's like the sky is new_  
_And it's warm and real and bright_  
_And the world has somehow shifted_  
_All at once everything is different_  
_Now that I see you_

_(I see the light - Mandy Moore)_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for every single comment, kudo, bookmark, and subscription. They brighten my day and they are my motivation to continue writing :)
> 
> [Find me on Tumblr!](https://chiakifics.tumblr.com/)


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